Python in excel and copilot is coming soon.

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The integration of Python in Excel for the web marks a significant enhancement for data analysis and automation, especially when it is added to Copilot. I think this is the one feature I hear my customers ask for the most when I do demos on Copilot in Excel. Python in Excel with standard compute became generally available to all eligible users with access to Excel for Windows. But now, there is an upcoming rollout that will extend this availability to Microsoft Excel for the web, allowing all eligible users to utilize Python formulas in their workbooks without any installation. These formulas will be executed in a secure container on the Microsoft Cloud, ensuring enterprise-level security. With this release, users with a Microsoft 365 Copilot license will also be able to leverage the Copilot in Excel with Python feature. This integration enables deeper data analysis by combining AI and Python capabilities within Excel. There will be a premium sku available, offering premium compute for...

A couple of noteworthy updates on Microsoft Copilot

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Changes to Microsoft Copilot is rolling out with great speed, some are bigger than than others, but sometimes there are minor changes that doesn't really need a separate blog post. Yet many of these changes means a great deal to the end users and how they can use the tool, and we shouldn't forget to mention them. So here are a couple of announced changed and improvements to Microsoft Copilot. 

Uploading images:
Microsoft Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot users with an Entra account will soon gain the ability to upload images and ask Copilot to analyze or describe them. This feature will be accessible through the Microsoft 365 app, Outlook, and Teams on web, desktop, and mobile platforms. Users can either take pictures with their mobile cameras or upload images directly from their devices. This feature itself, has been around in the public Copilot, but with this update it will now be available to anyone with an Entra account (not just copilot licensed users) and in both "work" and "web" mode. According to the message center, this will start rolling out in late January.

Inline suggestions:
Trying to help user write better prompts, Microsoft is introducing a new prompt auto-suggestion feature. This enhancement will remember useful prompts from Copilot Lab and the user's own prompt history. The feature will be available for Copilot licensed users on Windows desktops, Mac desktops, and the web. According to roadmap item 409962, it is already rolling out.

Name and Icon Change:
Microsoft is changing the name if "Microsoft 365" app to "Microsoft 365 Copilot". This makes a change in how end-users will find themselves using Microsoft Copilot as a starting point for "every" task they have on the web. With this change, users will notice several changes: the top header will be removed, and tools like user profile, settings, and feedback will move to the bottom left toolbar. Apps on the left toolbar will be aligned to the top, and AI-rich experiences like Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and Copilot Pages will be grouped together. The organization logo will no longer be visible in the app but will remain in other Microsoft 365 apps. The "Back" button will be removed from the Windows app, but navigation will still be possible via the left AppBar. The "My Day" feature will be removed from the app, but it will still be available in other Microsoft 365 apps. Lastly, the "Help me create" feature will be retired, with AI-powered document creation moving to the Copilot tab.

This last change might require some updates to internal documentation, user-guides and help material as some of the menus are being moved around on the webpage